Abe replaces Okinawa, Northern Territories minister

February 28, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday replaced Tetsuma Esaki with Teru Fukui as minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs.

Esaki, 74, stepped down, having been absent from his official duties since last week when he was diagnosed as having a transient ischemic attack, or a mini-stroke.

After being discharged from the hospital on Saturday, he was readmitted on Monday.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Esaki said that he has decided to resign from his post in order to avoid impacts on important proceedings at parliament, which is now deliberating the government's fiscal 2018 budget bill.

Abe said he named Fukui, 64, to the post because he has expertise in Okinawa and Northern Territories issues.

It is necessary to pass the budget as early as possible, Abe added.

Fukui is a House of Representatives member from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who previously served as state education minister.

Fukui was inaugurated with an attestation ceremony at the Imperial Palace.

Speaking at his inaugural news conference Tuesday night, Fukui said he is willing to visit Okinawa Prefecture as early as possible for talks with Governor Takeshi Onaga.

Esaki took office in August last year, when he was given a ministerial post for the first time in his political career as part of Abe's cabinet reshuffle.

Opposition lawmakers have questioned Esaki's ability to exercise his duties as a cabinet minister since he made mistakes in his parliamentary remarks for three straight days earlier this month.

Esaki was the seventh cabinet minister to step down since Abe took office in December 2012. Jiji Press